Book Store Taro is located on B1 of COREDO Muromachi 1, just outside subway ticket gates. It has been in business here since 1994, before COREDO Muromachi was built.

While they stock a wide range of business books, magazines, and practical books for people working in the neighborhood, they also offer a wide selection of books that are perfect for customers who come to Nihonbashi for shopping.Popular comics are lined up in front of the register on the day of release, so many people seem to pick them up quickly between transfers.

The logo was created by Mr. Okamoto Taro, a distant relative of a friend of the founder. A rare original painting of the logo is on display in the store.

The store was designed by industrial designer Eiji Mitooka, known for the design of the Kyushu Shinkansen "Tsubame" train, in response to the owner's desire to "create the most beautiful bookstore nihonichi." The calming space, which makes use of curves, is lined with warm wooden bookshelves and lit with LED lighting that is gentle on the books.

There is also a section that collects books about Edo and Tokyo, which is popular with both domestic and international tourists visiting Nihonbashi. If you wander through the shelves like you're walking down an alley, you're sure to come across a book that will stay in your memory.

Valuable paintings from the collection of the former chairman are displayed both inside and outside the store, making this a must-visit bookstore for art lovers.

Check out the latest information from Book Store Taro here!

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BOOK.1 "Third Millennium Thinking - Popular Lectures from America's Top Universities" by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, Robert McCoun, and Megumi Hanatsuka (translator)

This book is billed as "acquiring thinking that will last for 1,000 years," and will stimulate intellectual curiosity. The authors are professors from different fields: scientists, philosophers, and psychologists. They bring together their respective insights to introduce scientific thinking for surviving the information-overloaded era of the Third Millennium (2001-3000).

Social media and other platforms are inundated with a mixture of good and bad information, but this book presents examples of ways of thinking to help you sort through that information. For example, it uses Fermi estimation, which derives reasonable answers from limited data. By combining basic figures such as population and number of cars, you can even estimate gasoline consumption in the United States, which doesn't come up in a search. By practicing this, you'll be able to use your own brain to determine whether the numbers in front of you are correct or suspicious.

He also touches on a cognitive bias known as the "availability heuristic." For example, if you repeatedly watch footage of tornado damage on the news, you might be under the false impression that "many people die in tornadoes," but in reality, other factors may be causing a higher death rate. He discusses the importance of thinking without being misled by such biases.

In today's world, where everyone is a party to information and has direct Access to a vast universe of data, we must decide for ourselves how to select and utilize the facts and expert opinions that form the basis of our decisions. That is why now is the time to update ourselves to "THIRD MILLENNIUM THINKING."

The appeal of this book is that it teaches a universal framework for thinking while incorporating science, philosophy, and psychology in a cross-sectional manner. Although some parts are difficult to understand, it is recommended for science lovers as well as business people. The scientific thinking skills gained from this book can be applied to decision-making in business situations.

BOOK.2 "The Fastest Way to Work with Generative AI" by Jun Tatebayashi

Generative AI is artificial intelligence that can learn from large amounts of data and generate new content such as text, images, audio, video, and code. In business, too, entrusting tasks like document creation, idea generation, document organization, and data analysis to AI can significantly reduce time and effort, allowing employees to focus on more important and creative tasks.

This book by Jun Tatebayashi, also known as "Big Brother Excel," a popular IT instructor with over 110,000 YouTube subscribers, is a practical guide focused on how to apply rapidly evolving generative AI to real-world work. Rather than delving into the philosophy surrounding AI or future predictions, it thoroughly introduces techniques and tips that are immediately effective in business, how to use AI tools, and specific prompt types (instructions for AI).

This book is a useful introduction to AI, featuring use cases based on actual business situations, each with step-by-step instructions for selecting a tool and writing a prompt. It's accessible even for AI beginners, and directly applicable to practical applications. It's also useful for those who are interested in generative AI but don't know where to start, or those who are already using it but want to expand its applications.

Generative AI will undoubtedly become a core part of business in the future, and this book will serve as a reassuring guide for business people at the beginning of that era.

BOOK.3 "Imperfectionism: How to Live a Limited Life Well" by Oliver Berkman (author), translated by Riko Takahashi (translator)

This book offers a helping hand to business people who are working hard every day and suffering from burnout due to excessive effort and pushing themselves too hard.

This book is structured so that you can read one chapter per day and experience a spiritual retreat over four weeks. It's okay to not be perfect, and in fact living imperfectly can bring you peace of mind. The author urges us not to strive for perfection, but to aim for a work pace and LIFE that suits us now.

Instead of dedicating your life to rules, use rules for your life. Instead of obsessing over doing things every day, focus on your life's true purpose. To do this, you need to manage accumulated tasks separately, not get tied down to pre-determined schedules, and treat your to-do list as a menu. For people who tend to try too hard, the attitude of cherishing life in the present moment should be a great relief.

However, the key point of this book is not to try to perfectly implement what is written here. If you take it too seriously, you will be defeating the purpose. If you feel like you are working too hard and are stuck, try practicing "imperfectionism" imperfectly.

If you read these three books in order, you will see a flow of ideas: "Developing the ability to think scientifically," "Making full use of AI to increase efficiency," and "Accepting imperfection to organize your mind." Why not try reading these books and discover the lessons and realizations that are essential for modern business people?

BOOK.4 "Revealing Decoration - Rediscovering the Architecture of Nihonbashi" Igarashi Taro (supervisor), Yuko Kanno (supervisor)

This is a book version of the well-received exhibition "Unravelling Decoration," which was held at Takashimaya Historical Museum TOKYO from 2020 to 2021.

Although Nihonbashi is currently undergoing redevelopment, many historical buildings remain and are still in use, including Nihonbashi (completed in 1603, with the current bridge completed in 1911), which can be said to be the symbol of the city, the Bank of Japan (completed in 1896) designed by Tatsuno Kingo, the Mitsui Main Building (completed in 1929), the main building of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, Japan's first department store (completed in 1914), and the main building of Takashimaya, Japan's first department store designated as an Important Cultural Property (completed in 1933).

This book carefully explains the meaning and origin of the designs on Nihonbashi 's famous architecture with a wealth of photographs and illustrations. Even just flipping through the pages will give you a sense of artistic beauty. You'll also discover the origins of each building's iconic decorations, and discover that decorations that appear the same are actually different, stimulating your intellectual curiosity. It also includes a map showing the location of each building, so walking around Nihonbashi looking at the buildings with this book in hand is sure to make your stroll even more enjoyable.

The book also introduces new buildings such as COREDO Muromachi, which were designed to harmonize with historical structures. The layers of the city, past and present, resonate with each other, making this a book that will refresh your perspective on Nihonbashi as a whole.

BOOK.5 "Mampuku Hatago Asahiya Crispy Autumn Fried Food" by Takada Ariko (author)

Edo, Nihonbashi A historical novel set in a Muromachi inn, Asahiya. This is the first in a popular series of seven works currently in production.

The main character, Chiharu, a female chef who lost her parents who were cooks, is forced to help out at a new restaurant and inn, Asahiya, when Reiji, a former firefighter and thief, appears. The other friends assembled, including Shinsuke, the head chef, Tamao, the waitress, and Ayato, the stable keeper, also have their own wounds, and episodes of defiance against harassment are also interwoven in the story. The subtle hints of gender perspective and satire connect the historical novel to the sensibilities of the modern reader. Scathing catharsis and cuddly warmth are expressed in vivacious strokes.

In the first novel here, the author opens a restaurant and develops a dish for the reviewers to try, and the menu is the "Crispy Autumn Wrapped Fried Rice," as the title suggests. The tasting was a great success, thanks to the unexpected menu, which was crunchy on the outside and melty on the inside, along with items incorporating chrysanthemums and chestnuts in honor of Chou-you-no-Sekku, the traditional festival of the lunar calendar. The unique appeal of this series is that it even stimulates the desire to reproduce the dishes, making readers want to make them themselves after reading the book.

The story is set in the middle of the Edo period at the "Asahiya" inn, which is also in the shadow of the legendary "Hyakugawa" ryotei restaurant located in the Ukisekoji district of Nihonbashi Setomonomachi, and is described as if you were walking from Honjo to Nihonbashi and Nihonbashi to Asakusa, giving Nihonbashi a sense of the unique sentiment of the area. The characters of each of the friends who have a reason to be there are also well-developed, and I am curious to see how the story will develop in the future.

Eslite Spectrum Nihonbashi, located on the second floor of COREDO Muromachi Terrace, is a cultural hub originating from Taiwan that proposes new cultural experiences that connect reading and everyday life, based on the concept of "Books, and Everything in Between."

The store is divided into zones for books, stationery, Shops, restaurants, etc., with the main attraction being the Eslite Bookstore, which stocks over 70,000 books from Japan and Taiwan.

Don't miss the "Eslite Selection" corner, where recommended books are displayed on a monthly basis. Each month, staff from Japan and Taiwan introduce eight books that they believe are "must-reads right now."

Another feature of the store is the seating and reading spaces provided throughout the store. The reading spaces between the bookshelves are recommended for when you want to concentrate.

The children's book corner has large chairs so that parents and children can enjoy themselves together.

Shops are held regularly in the space with table seating. The bookstore aims to be SAAD place for people who come to Nihonbashi for fun or who work in Nihonbashi.

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BOOK.6 "South Seas Museum" by Hiroko Hayama

This is a surprisingly grand and profound story set in Taiwan under Japanese rule. A Taiwanese boy named Chen and a Taiwanese-born Japanese boy named Kotoji meet and both aspire to become botanists, but a turbulent fate awaits them, despite their different origins. The friendship that develops across the barriers of discrimination and time is heartwarming, and it strongly appeals to readers about the meaning of life and the importance of understanding each other.

The book is also meticulously written, with descriptions of plant collecting and the unique natural environment of Taiwan sure to appeal to plant lovers. At the same time, readers will be drawn into the world and moved, just like the two characters who are at the mercy of the historical tides of war. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, it can be said that this work truly resonates with the times. It combines realism and drama backed by historical fact, and is so well-crafted that after reading it you will wish it were made into a drama on NHK.

The author is a masked writer, and the other day he gave a talk show at Eslite Spectrum Nihonbashi. Although he is a newcomer and this is only his second work, his meticulous writing and composition skills have been praised as being on par with those of the Naoki Prize.

BOOK.7 "Silent Singer" by Yoko Ogawa

This work, the author's first full-length novel in six years and attracting attention, tells the story of a girl who comes close to "those without a voice." The setting is likely somewhere in Japan, in a small town nestled in the mountains. In a place called "Acacia Field," people who love silence gather and form a community called the "Shy People's Club," who live quietly and in silence. However, the main character, a young girl named Ririka, who was raised by a woman who works there, is the only one who has the ability to sing. The story is richly lyrical as it depicts Ririka's life, which is guided and driven by the power of her singing voice.

Up until now, Ogawa Yoko's works have had a sense of something delicate and cold, like clean sheets, but what was striking about this film was that it gave off a stronger sense of warmth and heartfelt emotion.

As I continued reading, I was reminded of the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno: "We have one mouth and two ears; therefore it is important to listen twice as much as we speak." This story, which shows the richness of listening and silence, also offers strong suggestions for today's social media society, where information is overloaded and voices are everywhere.

It's a volume that can be read in one night if you stay up late, but the impression it leaves will stay in your mind for a long time. Personally, I think he is the author closest to winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, and this is a gem of a book that will help you experience why.

BOOK.8 "I Lived in a Bookstore in Jordan" by Fuu

The author, who traveled to 20 countries during his university years, was captivated by a bookstore built on a rocky outcrop in Jordan that he came across online by chance, and emailed the bookstore to ask if he could work there. This essay chronicles his sudden arrival in Jordan, a country he had never even known, and his month of living there.

This bookstore is more than just a bookshop; it is also a cultural hub with a cafe and event space, where young people from all over the world, including Italy, the UK, and France, gather and interact. The author's own experiences, filled with struggles, surprises, and laughter, are vividly captured in this book, which is written with light and humor and lavishly photographed.

Despite being confused by cultural and language differences, the author's positive interactions with local people and fellow foreigners convey a perspective that positively accepts social diversity and will give readers great energy. The author's drive and positivity are dazzling, making this an invigorating book that will inspire you to take that first step yourself.

BOOK.9 "Working in the Arctic Under the Aurora" by Hayato Matsushita

This book summarizes the life of an observation team in Ny-Ålesund, a town located between Norway and the North Pole. The author, as a technician on the observation team, recorded his daily life in diary form during his long-term stay of approximately four years there. Only researchers with permission are allowed to stay in Ny-Ålesund, and special rules are imposed, such as no Wi-Fi, no LIFE allowed, and no locks allowed on buildings, making everyday life itself extraordinary. The book also includes anecdotes about events unique to the polar region, such as the aurora marathon and a party celebrating the return of the sun.

The appeal of this book lies in the fact that it is not merely a polar report, but can also be read as a coming-of-age story in which the author, who initially went to the polar regions in order to be alone, eventually comes to appreciate the brilliant lives of the researchers he lived with in the polar regions.

The book is also filled with breathtakingly beautiful photographs of the aurora borealis and ice fields, adding a sense of realism that cannot be found in a simple travelogue. It condenses the charm of exploration literature and nature essays, making it a work you'll want to immerse yourself in during the long autumn nights.

BOOK.10 "From the Town of the Mountain Shadows" by Naoko Kasama

This is a collection of essays written by the author, a French literature scholar and translator, who moved from Tokyo to Chichibu and describes his relationship with the local nature and people. I immediately empathized with the author's reason for moving to Chichibu: "I wanted to smell the beautiful smells."

The writing is philosophical yet gentle, and the descriptions of nature are vivid and beautiful, with a sense of familiarity. The beautiful binding, including the sunset on the cover, is also appealing. After reading, you will be left with a lingering impression that will add color to your daily life.

This book is a reflection on literature that unfolds amid a life in the mountains, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. It also raises some sharp questions about modern society, and will not only provide significant insight for those tired of city life, but will also be valuable as a book that will make you reexamine your own philosophy of how you live your life. As a contemporary essayist alongside authors like Kaho Nashiki, this is an author worth keeping an eye on.